Mike Greenlar/The Post-StandardSee how happy Syracuse Crunch forward Jon Mirasty looks going after Adirondack's Garrett Klotz this preseason? Those happy days were put on hold Thursday by Mirasty's demotion to Elmira of the ECHL.

Left winger Jon Mirasty will ring in the New Year, and perhaps a new start to the rest of his Syracuse Crunch career, in Kalamazoo, Mich.

That’s where the Elmira Jackals, Mirasty’s new team, plays Friday and Saturday. Mirasty, one of the all-time popular Crunch players, was sent packing to that ECHL franchise on Thursday.

The enforcer had his gloves holstered for most of the season, playing in just 16 of the team’s 33 games. He was a healthy scratch for five straight as the struggling Crunch marginalized his skill-set in favor of a potentially better offensive lineup.

Crunch assistant general manager Bob Ferguson said there’s no timetable for Mirasty’s return.

“The timetable will be up to Jon,” Ferguson said Thursday. “There’s no question we know what Jon’s strengths are. He does it, and does it well. There’s other parts of his game he needs to work on, where he can contribute in other ways.”

The heavyweight has no points and 74 penalty minutes this season. He is third in franchise history with 751 PIM and in 182 Syracuse games has one goal and six assists.

“Nobody expects to turn himself into a 20-goal scorer. I just think it’s his overall game,” Ferguson said. “He knows his defensive zone. He hasn’t hurt anybody on that end. Just find ways to help in other ways.”

Mirasty was scheduled to fly out to Michigan on Thursday. He did not return several phone messages seeking comment.

Crunch vice president Jim Sarosy met with Mirasty for 30 minutes during the afternoon. He described Mirasty as depressed about the transaction.

“Of all the guys I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a lot of them, Jon truly loved playing in Syracuse,” Sarosy said. “He’s going to go down and play as hard as he always plays. There’s no pouting when it comes to that.”

The upside from Mirasty’s perspective is that he should have plenty of time to work on whatever Anaheim expects him to add to his game. Jackals coach Malcolm Cameron said Mirasty will be a regular in the lineup.

“My job is to make these guys better. Guys don’t get better sitting in the stands,” Cameron said after his team’s practice in Kalamazoo on Thursday. “I’m still a believer you have to have a guy who can make people accountable on the ice. I think there is a role (that) still can be filled for the tough guy, who can create space, and stick up for (teammates). Jon is very good at that.”

Mirasty, re-signed as a free agent for $90,000 last summer, was the lone returner from last year’s team — which was affiliated with Columbus — and was heavily marketed in the preseason. Syracuse has a Mirasty bobblehead night scheduled for a game in February yet to be determined, a promotion that Sarosy said will still be held even if the player isn’t here.